Abstract
BackgroundEssential oils may represent an alternative strategy for controlling scabies, a neglected tropical disease caused by the infestation of mite from the species Sarcoptes scabiei. Lemongrass (Cymbopogen citratus) oil is reported to possess pharmacological properties including antiparasitc, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential efficacy of lemongrass oil against the mites and eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei.Methodology/Principal findingsMass spectrometry analysis confirmed that the main component presented in lemongrass oil was citral. Lemongrass oil at concentrations of 10% and 5% killed all Sarcoptes mites within 10 and 25 min, respectively. The median lethal concentration value was 1.37%, 1.08%, 0.91%, 0.64%, and 0.48% at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, respectively. Lemongrass oil at all concentrations (10%, 5%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%) was able to significantly decrease the hatching rate of Sarcoptes eggs.Conclusions/SignificanceLemongrass oil should be considered as a promising miticidal and ovicidal agent for scabies control.
Highlights
Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by the infestation of Sarcoptes scabiei mites
The essential oil from C. citratus is known as lemongrass oil with reported antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties
The results demonstrated that lemongrass oil can kill the motile stages of Sarcoptes mites effectively and presented a significant ovicidal activity
Summary
Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by the infestation of Sarcoptes scabiei mites. Studies have shown that essential oils such as clove, tea tree and palmorosa are effective against the motile stages of Sarcoptes mites [8,9,10]. 5% tea tree oil has been proposed for scabies treatment in Australia [11]. None of these studies have tested the ovicidal activity of these oils. Essential oils may represent an alternative strategy for controlling scabies, a neglected tropical disease caused by the infestation of mite from the species Sarcoptes scabiei. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential efficacy of lemongrass oil against the mites and eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei
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